Hello all,
This is a copy (word for word) of the subject letter sent to me by a
Smith cousin. There is reference to Jacob Cailor, John Jarrett and
Samuel Childers, among other Smith family people. Hope it will be of
interest to you.
Smith-Jarrett-Cailor-Childers cousin,
Mary Jo
When you see a misspelled word, if it has a p think of ss, then see if
that doesn't make the spelling okay. I tried to type his letter exactly
as he wrote it. The spacing also conforms to his letter. Only a few words
per line.
Franklin NC
July 8th 1890
Mrs Louise Davenport
Crawford GA
My dear cousin
Your welcome letter of the 23rd. ?????
is at hand. I am glad to have found
you out as I had entirely lost sight
of your father's family. Our family
has grown to be numerous. There were
ten of us, nine sons and one daughter.
Of these five are still living and our
average age is over seventy eight.
I have past my 77th birthday. But
enough of this. I regard to your
question as to your grandmother's
family connection. I am sorry to
say that my father did not keep
a full record and cannot give
dates only the following. Your
2
great grand father Joseph Smith was
born April 1st 1730. He was of English ex
traction. Your great grand mother
Rebecca Smith was born April 1st 1739.
She was of Welsh extraction and her
maiden name was Dath. My father
was born Aug 29th 1765. He had only one
brother Nathan Smith who moved to
Mipouri in an early day. I have no
knowledge of that branch of the family.
Your grand mother ha(d) (a) sister who mar ---
ried Jacob Cailor. She lived and
died in this county at about the
age of 92. Some of her descendants
in still living here. Another sister
married John Jarrett, my uncle.
Her immediate descendants are all
dead. She had one son Nimrod S
Jarrett who lived and died in this
county, and another son D. H. Jarrett
who lived and died in Union Co GA
3
They both have children still living.
Another sister of your grand mother
married Samuel Childres. Of her
children I have lost sight of all except
Elenor who at one time was your moth
er's housekeeper. You perhaps remem-
-ber her. She married Mr. Hartgreen
of Haywood County, and is, I believe,
still alive. Another sister of your grand
mother Eve Smith was never married.
She lived and died on the old home
sted of your great grand father
in Buncombe County.
I regret the meagernep of this infor-
-mation, and the want of care and
forethought which caused our ances
would
stors to neglect the proper records. It /\
be to me a great pleasure to know whom
as well as where my grand parents and
parents were from. My older brothers
might have written some interesting
4
history had they been thoughtful of the
importance of it. My father, about the
close of the revolutionary struggle, was
sent by Gen McDowell who was then command
-ant at Old Fort, as a mepenger with a letter
to the principal chief of the Cherokees at the
Cossacuattee Towns, now some 25 miles
from Rome GA, proposing terms of peace
with the Indians and an exchange of
prisoners. He set out with an Indian guide
and interpreter and a mulatto man, when
no white man lived west of the Blueridge
in NC, and the Indians were all on the war
path. He made the trip safely through
the nation, effected the object of his
mipion and returned unharmed. The
incidents of the journey and the talks
he had with the Indians at the differ
-ent towns as he used to tell it to my
older brothers would be very interesting
were it written. Again your great
grand father and his two sons
5
Samuel and Nathan Smith cut the
first wagon way at Swannanore gap
that was ever cut acrop the Blueridge
in NC. If the incidents attending that
work had been recorded it would now
be interesting reading. But I am rattling
along in away that may not interest you
as it does me.
My brother Aron who lived in Forsythe
Co GA died the 18th of last month. He
was not far from your father's age
Had he lived to the 1st of this month he
would have been 88 years old. He
retained his mental faculties to
the end. I send you my photograph
which may be a reminder in the
family of the stock from which we
descended. Kindly present me to your
family - your daughter in particular.
Sincerely Your Cousin
(signed C. D. Smith)
______________________________